Mercury contents of zooplankton collected in the Tropical Pacific Ocean.

Abstract

The mercury contents of zooplankton collected at eight stations in the Tropical Pacific Ocean were measured to obtain data as a standard for an unpolluted sea. The mercury contents measured in this survey were lower than those of zooplankton collected in the inland sea regions of Japanese, American and European estuaries, and in the oceanic area between Hawaii and California, U.S.A. Such results seem to suggest that the Tropical Pacific Ocean is relatively uncontaminated with mercury.